Effect of proximal gastric vagotomy on calculated gastric HCO3- and nonparietal volume secretion in man. Studies during basal conditions and gastrin-17 infusion.

We calculated gastric HCO3- and H+ secretion, as well as nonparietal and parietal volume secretion, in 15 duodenal ulcer patients who had previously undergone successful proximal gastric vagotomy, 15 unoperated duodenal ulcer patients, and 15 normal control subjects. Basal HCO3- secretion was not significantly altered after vagotomy, while basal H+ secretion, parietal volume and nonparietal volume secretion were reduced significantly. Intravenous gastrin-17 infusion reduced gastric HCO3- secretion by approximately 50% in both unoperated ulcer patients and normal subjects (P less than 0.05). Gastrin-17 infusion did not inhibit gastric HCO3- secretion after vagotomy. In fact, mean gastric HCO3- secretion increased to a nearly significant extent in response to gastrin (P = 0.06). These findings indicate that gastrin inhibits gastric HCO3- secretion in humans and that the gastrin-induced reduction in gastric HCO3- secretion is dependent upon intact vagal innervation to the oxyntic mucosa.